Five questions with Lakeside cross country runner Andrea Masterson

On Oct. 24, Lakeside junior Andrea Masterson recorded her career-best time at the 3A Metro League championships with a time of 18:01.49, helping the Lakeside girls to a first-place finish. Masterson and the rest of the team qualified for Districts.

Masterson came in first at the Sea-King District II meet Thursday with a time of 18:01.57, helping the Lakeside girls to a second-place finish and a trip to state next Saturday in Pasco.

Q: Why cross country?

A: “When I was younger, I tried pretty much all the sports, but it ended up being I had a lot of endurance… I played soccer, but was good at soccer because I had endurance.”

A: “For me, one of the biggest things is the team… the team definitely motivates me to push my hardest, but I also like the individual aspect of it with me and my thoughts.”

Q: Any pre-meet rituals?

A: “I try to stay calm. I don’t think too much about the race. I’ll wear pajamas before the race to keep me calm and happy… Always pasta the night before, with cereal for breakfast.”

Q: Any goals as far as times go?

A: “This whole season, I’ve been flirting with the 18-minute mark… I think it would be amazing to break 18 at state, but you never know what’s going to happen… I definitely care about my time, but I try not to worry about the race I should be having.”

Q: What would you say to someone thinking about joining the cross country team?

A: “Honestly, it doesn’t matter (if you’re a runner). For our team, we have a really big team, and one of the things that defines it is, even if you hate running, you can love the team.”